The Benefits Of Expanding Your Business To Include E-Commerce

(FORBES, Kate Hancock) If you’re doing exceptionally well in your brick-and-mortar operation, then you might want to seriously consider expanding your business into the e-commerce sector. That said, many old-school business-minded entrepreneurs might still not trust the internet, thinking that “big brother” is watching and there’s too much of a risk of compromising secure data.

Loosely translated, this usually means that these people might not be very tech savvy and have not fully comprehended the strides that have been taken to ensure information can be transacted through

a secure site that will not only protect sensitive information but also make online shopping faster, efficient and much more convenient for the consumer. This, in turn, offers you the opportunity to increase your sales. However, it can only be done if you start selling your products online. 

My Experience With Expanding To E-Commerce

I can attribute some of my success to expanding my business online. While it’s true that my spas sell a service, we also sell the products that we use on our clients. Because many of our clients travel some ways to take advantage of our services, I wanted to make it easier for them to purchase our products. I didn’t want them to take time out of their busy schedule to drive to one of our locations just to purchase a cleanser. Giving them the opportunity to purchase online provides our customers with the convenience of shopping from their own home and even through their mobile device. It can be as easy as signing up for a Shopify account within 15 minutes. Since you know your customer best, post what sells and don't clutter your site with too many products.

E-commerce offers purchasers a casual shopping experience. My clients are not only able to peruse all of our skin care and beauty products that we have in stock, they’re also able to discover other skincare treatments we use in our spa, giving them a chance to try new skincare products. Furthermore, our e-commerce business no longer has to be local to the Orange County area.

Taking Your Business Overseas

With online access, people across the nation and even the world can purchase our line of products -- and they do! Having the ability to sell our products worldwide is something that we could not be able to do efficiently without having expanded our business to the e-commerce sector. Make sure you provide content for your new potential customers. This will allow you to reach a broader audience and keep them coming back versus going to the next e-commerce store. Furthermore, we're also able to utilize sales and marketing channels to extend our reach to potential buyers who might be interested in our products. 

Other Ways To Make E-Commerce Work For You

Ensure that you are using different forms of content and adding a link back to your site wherever possible. Don’t be afraid to use social media either. Instagram does particularly well for us. We post curated pictures based on popular products. This has helped us grow with more followers because people find us relatable. Plus we can interact with our customer base in real time and showcase results since clients love to see themselves in front of thousands of people. While no one really likes to be sold to, there are clever ways to advertise your product and/or services without presenting traditional sales pitch. With Facebook, you can refine your audience to a demographic that is most likely going to buy your products and services.

If you’re not using e-commerce to expand your business, you could be missing out of thousands of dollars in potential sales.

Kate Hancock

President of OC Facial Care Center. Her goal is to help thousands of people feel confident through the right treatments and products.